Syringe

ABSTRACT

THERE IS DISCLOSED A SYRINGE FOR INJECTING A SOLUTION OF A DRY SUBSTANCE AND A SOLVENT, INCLUDING A SYRINGE BARREL CARRYING THE INJECTION NEEDLE, SAID BARREL CONTAINING THE DRY SUBSTANCE, AND PISTON SHIFTABLY MOUNTED IN THE BARREL AND CLOSING THE SYRINGE BARREL ABOVE THE DRY SUBSTANCE, WHEREIN THE INJECTION NEEDLE IS CARRIED BY THE SYRINGE BARREL AXIALLY SHIFTABLE BETWEEN TWO SETTINGS, A RESILIENT SEAL IS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BARREL SIDE AND OF THE INJECTION NEEDLE AND THE SYRINGE BARREL SHUTTING SAME OFF, SAID SEAL BEING PUNCTURED BY THE NEEDLE UPON SHIFTING THEREOF INTO A LIMIT POSITION, AND THE SYRINGE PISTON CONSISTS OF A RESILIENT MATERIAL AND HAS A RECESS WITH FEMALE THREADS AT THE END FACING AWAY FROM THE INJECTION NEEDLE INTO WHICH THREADS A PLUNGER SERVING TO SHIFT THE SYRING PISTON IS CAPABLE OF BEING SCREWED-IN WHICH CARRIES A HOLLOW NEEDLE PUNCTURING THROUGH THE SYRINGE PISTON IN HE COMPLETELY SCREW-IN LOCATION, THE OTHER END OF SAID NEEDLE BEING CAPABLE OF BEING CONNECTED WITH AN AMPOULE CONTAINING THE SOLVENT THE SOLVENT THEREBY BEING PASSED TO THE DRY SUBSTANCE UPON RETRACTING THE SYRINGE PISTON IN THE SYRINGE BARREL.

T. METTEN Nov. 23, 1971 SYRINGE 3 Sh00ts-Shoct 1 Filed April 15, 1969 lnrenfor /wW 5 ML 7 c 7 1 a 52W W M r a w T. METTEN Nov. 23, 1971 SYRINGE 3 Sheetz1-f3h00t 2 Filed April 15. 1969 lnrenlor: 7/ /50 N67 754 f ju /wf v ATfO/ci/VZ/S T. METTEN Nov. 23, 1971 SYRINGE Filed April 15, 1969 lnren/or 71 /1 0 M5775 fldu 5m A r-roz IVE/j United States Patent 3,621,843 SYRINGE Theo Metten, 1 Kaule, 506 Bensberg- Immekeppel, Germany Filed Apr. 15, 1969, Ser. No. 816,327 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 20, 1968, P 17 66 222.5 Int. Cl. A61m 5/18 US. Cl. 128218 M 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a syringe for injecting a solution of a dry substance and a solvent, including a syringe barrel carrying the injection needle, said barrel containing the dry substance, and a piston shiftably mounted in the barrel and closing the syringe barrel above the dry substance, wherein the injection needle is carried by the syringe barrel axially shiftable between two settings, a resilient seal is disposed between the barrel side and of the injection needle and the syringe'barrel shutting same off, said seal being punctured by the needle upon shifting thereof into a limit position, and the syringe piston consists of a resilient material and has a recess with female threads at the end facing away from the injection needle into which threads a plunger serving to shift the syringe piston is capable of being screwed-in which carries a hollow needle puncturing through the syringe piston in the completely screw-in location, the other end of said needle being capable of being connected with an ampoule containing the solvent the solvent thereby being passed to the dry substance upon retracting the syringe piston in the syringe barrel.

This invention relates to a syringe for injecting a solution comprising a dry substance and a solvent. Such syringes are conventional. They include a syringe barrel carrying the injection needle and a piston shiftably mounted therein. Such syringes are provided for a onetime use. They therefore already contain the solution to be injected in the syringe barrel which is mixed of a dry substance and a solvent. It has been noted, however, that not all ready mixed solutions have a sufiiciently long shelf-life. For this reason in the portion of the syringe barrel adjacent to the injection needle only the dry substance was inserted and shut off by the syringe piston. Therefore, prior to injecting, the solvent had to be drawn into the syringe through the injection needle from an ampoule in order to prepare the ready solution. For doing so, a protective casing drawn over the injection needle and keeping it sterilized had to be removed in the conventional injection syringes provided for a one-time use, and the needle had to be pierced through the closure plug of the ampoule. Thereby, the injection needle was no longer unused. Furthermore the conventional injection syringes provided for a one-time use were of the same design as the usual syringes provided for multiple use. Thereby, the manufacture of the syringes provided for a one-time use only was expensive, thus resulting in a substantial increase in the costs for the solution to be injected.

An object of the invention is to provide an injection syringe for injecting a solution prepared of a dry substance and a solvent which is not only particularly simple in its manufacture and thus economic, but which also permits the injection needle to be left unused prior to injecting the solution.

This is accomplished by a syringe wherein the injection needle is carried by the syringe piston axially shiftable between two limit positions, wherein a rubber-like seal is disposed between the barrel side end of the injeeeion needle and the syringe barrel shutting same off which is punctured by the needle upon shifting thereof into a limit position,

3,621,843 Patented Nov. 23, 1971 and wherein the syringe piston consists of a resilient material and has a recess with female threads at an end facing away from the injection needle, a plunger serving for shifting the syringe piston being capable of being screwed into said female threads, said plunger carrying a hollow needle at the screw end passing through the syringe piston 1n the completely screwed-in location, the other end of said hollow needle being capable of being connected with an ampoule containing the solvent thus permitting the solvent to be passed to the dry substance upon retracting the syringe piston in the syringe barrel. In the syringe according to the invention the dry substance located in the portion of the syringe barrel facing the injection needle is sealed therefrom and is prevented from being inadvertently introduced into the syringe barrel prior to use of the syringe. Furthermore, the required solvent can be added to this dry substance without the injection needle being used for doing so. Also by using a piston made of a resilient material, the manufacture of the syringe is rendered much more economical, since such a piston tightly seals the syringe barrel even in the event the cylindrical inner wall of the syringe barrel has not been subjected to any special finishing. Finally by intermediately providing a resilient seal between the injection needle and the syringe barrel a completely hermetical sealing of the dry substance is insured so that the injection syringe can be shelved even for longer periods of time.

. Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded elevational view of an embodiment of the syringe including a solvent ampoule adapted to serve as a partial plunger, several portions thereof being illustrated partially in section,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II in FIG. 1 in a larger scale,

FIG. 3 is an exploded elevational view of a further embodiment of a plunger and an associated ampoule adapted for use with the syringe of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an elevation of a different type of closure cap for the embodiment of a plunger illustrated in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is partial elevation of a further embodiment of an ampoule capable of being used with the plunger illustrated in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 6 is a further embodiment partially illustrated in section of the retaining means of the needle permitting radial movements of the injection needle.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings a syringe has been illustrated wherein the syringe barrel and the solvent ampoule serving as a plunger are illustrated in an exploded view in an axial direction. The syringe 1 includes a syringe barrel 2 preferably made of glass the lower end of which as viewed in the drawing carries the injection needle 3, Whereas the other upper end as viewed in the drawing is provided with a flange 4.

The injection needle 3 is carried by a cylindrical intermediate member 5 as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing such that the end 6 disposed opposite to the injecting end of the injection needle 4 projects beyond the cylindrical intermediate member 5. A portion of the peripheral surface of the cylindrical intermediate member 5 is provided with long pitch outer threads 7, as is clearly shown in FIG. 1. The length of the outer threads 7 is limited by a flange 8 the peripheral surface of which is provided with grooves facilitating the rotation of the cylindrical intermediate member 5. The outer threads 7 engage female threads 9 cut into a cylindrical bushing 10 of a cap 11 closing the lower end as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Starting from the cap 11, the cylindrical bushing is enlarged up to the female threads 9 and supports an abutment ring 12 secured to the cylindrical intermediate member 5 which confines the axial movement of the intermediate member and thus of the injection needle 6 between two limit positions. An elastomer seal 13 is inserted between the syringe barrel 2 at the bottom surface of the cap 11. The free end of the tubular cap is bent inwardly after inserting the terminal bead 2 of the syringe barrel 2 in order to join the injection needle 3 with the syringe barrel 2. The elastomer seal 13 does not only function as a seal for the syringe barrel 2, but moreover as a seal for the junction between the cap 11 and the syringe barrel 2. The rubber seal 13 has two axially aligned blind holes associated therewith in its center the axis of which is aligned with .the axis of the injection needle 3. The end 6 of the injection needle 3 projecting beyond the cylindrical intermediate member is somewhat longer in its axial extent than the thickness of the intermediate wall 16 maintained between the two blind holes 14 and 15. In this way the injection needle can pierce the intermediate wall 16 in the event the cylindrical intermediate member 5 has been rotated into its limit position at the right as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings so that the injection needle 3 is connected with the interior of the syringe barrel.

In the interior of the syringe barrel 2 the syringe 1 comprises a piston 17 consisting of an elastomer material. At its peripheral surface the piston 17 has a plurality of peripheral lips 18 closely accommodating themselves to the inner wall of the syringe barrel. As will be noted from the right side of the piston illustrated in section in FIG. 1, the piston 17 has a recess 19 at the end facing away from the injection needle 3 with female threads 20. The recess 19 continues in blind hole 21 in the longitudinal axis of the piston 17. Axially aligned therewith the piston has a further blind hole 22 on the side facing away from the recses 19. The piston 17 hermetically seals the space between it and the end of the syringe barrel 2 carrying the injection needle 3 by the separating wall 23 disposed between the two blind holes 21 and 22.

The upper end of the syringe barrel 2 as viewed in the drawings terminates in an annular bead 24. The flange 4 which preferably consists of resilient plastic material has an annular groove 26 in its central opening 25. The annular bead 24 firmly interlocks with the annular groove 26 when the flange 4 is pushed onto the syringe barrel 2 so that the flange 4 is secured against an axial displacement and is firmly joined with the syringe barrel 2.

In the upper portion of FIG. 1 an ampoule has been illustrated which also serves as a plunger. The ampoule 34 has a tap 55 at the lower end as viewed in the drawing which is provided with male threads 28. This tap is firmly connected with the ampoule end with a resilient seal 53 being disposed between the tap 55 and the ampoule 34. The seal 53 has an axial Opening 54. The tap 55 which is of a hollow construction carries a hollow needle 33 in its face which projects beyond the screw end of the ampoule 34. In the cavity of the tap 55 a spring 56 engages the face of the tap and urges a ball check valve 57 against the lower end of the seal 53 to close the axial opening 54.

The upper end of the ampoule 34 as viewed in the drawing is provided with a flange 58 corresponding to the flange 4 as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Similarly, the open end of this ampoule 34 is sealed by a piston 36 after filling with a solvent.

When the ampoule 34 serves as a plunger the hollow needle 33 can remain in position and pierce the separating wall 23 of the syringe piston 17. A flowing-over of the solution from the syringe barrel 2 into the ampoule 34 is prevented by the ball check valve 57. Thus, this embodiment of the injection syringe can be used similar to a conventional injection syringe after inserting the solvent in the syringe barrel 2 containing the dry substance.

The individual parts of the embodiment of the injection syringe described hereinbefore and illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings coact thus:

The sterile injection syringe 1 containing the dry substance, with injection needle 3 thereof retained in a sterile condition by a coating (not shown) is connected with the solvent ampoule 34 which serves as a plunger, by screwing-in the male threads 28 of the screw end of the plunger into the female threads 20 of the syringe piston 17. In doing so, the end of the hollow needle 33 projecting beyond the male threads 28 pierces the separating wall 23 in the syringe piston so that the hollow needle 33 is in communication with the portion of the syringe barrel 2 located below the syringe piston and containing the dry substance. The ampoule 34 is introduced with the end sealed by the piston 36 into the barrel 2. By retracting the syringe piston the solvent is sucked into the syringe barrel by the vacuum resulting therefrom. After the solvent and dry substance have mixed, by rotating the cylindrical intermediate member 5, the injection needle 3 is passed through the separating wall 16 of the elastomer seal 13 with its end 6 so that the injection needle 3 is in communication with the syringe barrel. After removing the casing (not illustrated) from the injection needle 3, the solution can be injected. For doing so, the solvent ampoule 34 serving as a plunger is moved inwardly together with the syringe piston 17.

In FIG. 3 of the drawings a further embodiment of a plunger and an ampoule associated therewith has been illustrated. Identical parts have been identified with identical reference numerals to which in FIG. 3 the index a is appended. A plunger 34a is also of tubular form and has male threads 28a at its screw end. The tap 55a provided with the male threads 28a is configured hollow and serves to guide a piston-like guide member 41 shiftable against the bias of a spring 40. This guide member 41 carries the hollow needle 33a the one end of which projects beyond the screw end of the plunger 27a. The other end of the hollow needle 33a projects beyond the guide memher to such an extent that this needle end is capable of piercing a resilient face wall sealing the associated ampoule at one side. The guide member 41 includes an abutment 42' integrally connected to a piston 42 with the abutment being mounted in the hollow tap for relative movement and engaging the spring. The other end of the plunger 27a is provided with male threads 43 on which a closure cap 44 is capable of being screwed on.

An ampoule 34a can be inserted in the tubular portion of the plunger 27a. This ampoule is formed cylindrically and is preferably made of glass. At its lower end as viewed in the drawing the ampoule 34a is sealed by a resilient face wall 45. A closure piston 36a is inserted in the open end after filling with a solvent. In this embodiment the ampoule 34a can be inserted to such an extent for shipping and storing in the plunger 27a that the resilient face wall 45 engages the end of the hollow needle 33a projecting beyond the guide member 41. The dimensions are selected such that in this case the closure ca 44 can just be screwed onto the male threads 43 of the plunger for several convolutions. Since in this position of the ampoule 34a within the plunger 27a the end of the hollow needle 33a projecting beyond the top end of the plunger 27a extends only slightly beyond the top end, the plunger can be screwed in with its male threads 28a into the female threads 20 of the syringe piston 17 for transporting or storing purposes without the hollow needle 33a piercing the separating wall 23 in the syringe piston 17. For using the syringe, all that has to be done is to completely screw the plunger into the syringe piston 17 and to completely screw the closure ca 44 into the male threads 43 of the plunger. By doing this, the upper end of the hollow needle 33a pierces the face wall 45 of the ampoule after which the ampoule moves the guide member 41 with the hollow needle 33 relative to the top end of the plunger 27a, and the needle 33a pierces the separating wall 23 in the syringe piston 17.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings a further embodiment of a closure cap 44a has been illustrated. This has a bayonet closure means 46 instead of the female threads coacting with the male threads 43 on the plunger 27, said bayonet closure means having two lock positions 47 and 48. A

pin not illustrated in the drawing will be mounted on the plunger 27a at an according location in lieu of the threads 43 and would be in the lock position 47 when an ampoule 34a has been inserted in the plunger 27a without the resilient face wall 45 having been punctured by the needle 33a. The lock position 48 serves the purpose of fixing the closure cap in the position in which the face wall 45 is punctured and the guide member 41 of the injection needle 33a has been moved out of the screw end of the plunger 27a. 7

As seen in FIG. 3, the ampoule 34a has an open end which is sealed by an ampoule piston 36a after filling said ampoule with a solvent, and wherein the ampoule piston 36a moves downwardly as illustrated, when the syringe piston 17 (FIG. 1) is depressed because of the vacuum produced in the barrel 2 of the syringe l.

The ampoule shown in FIG. canbe used in place of that shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 5 the ampoule 3411 has an upper end which is sealed after filling in a solvent by a resilient seal 49 which includes a tubular extension 50 closed at one side. This extension passes through an opening 52 provided in the face wall 51 of the closure cap 44 upon inserting the ampoule in the tubular plunger 27a. For using the injection syringe, this extension must be severed so that air is capable of entering the ampoule and the solvent is capable of flowing out.

In FIG. 6 a still further embodiment of the means for carrying the injection needle 3 and permitting the axial shifting of the injection needle has been illustrated. In this embodiment the injection needle 3 is also firmly carried by a cylindrical intermediate member 5b. In contradistinction to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, this intermediate member is initially connected with a flange" 61 via a predetermined fracture portion 60. Th s flange 61 engages the elastomer seal 13' at the side facing away from the syringe barrel 2 and is firmly connected with the syringe barrel 2 by a cylindrical sleeve 65 the edges of which are turned inwardly. An annular collar 66 concentrically surrounding the cylindrical member 5b is spaced therefrom and extend away from the flange 61 which is formed integral therewith. The iner side of the collar is provided with long pitch female threads 62. Dueto the one-piece configuration of the cylindrical member 5b, theflange 61 and the collar 66, this member can be injection molded in a very simple fashion of plastic. Moreover, inthis embodiment the injection needle 3 is arrested in its initial position until the cylindrical member 5b has been detached at the predetermined fracture portion 60 prior to the first use in separating it from the flange 61 and is moved axially toward the syringe barrel 2.

For separating the cylindrical member 5b at the predetermined fracture portion 60 from the flange 61 and for axially shifting the injection needle 3 toward the syringe barrel 2, althreaded nipple 63 is provided. The male threads 67 of this threaded nipple engage with the female threads 62 of the collar 66 so that the nipple can move toward the syringe barrel 2 or away therefrom depending on the direction of rotation. The outer peripheral surface of the threaded nipple 63 is grooved in order to facilitate a turning. An axial recess 64 in the threaded nipple 63 serves to receive the free end of the cylindrical intermediate member 5b which engages'the bottom of the recess 64 with its face. For permitting the injection needle 3 to extend through, the threaded nipple 63 has an aperture 68 the diameter of which is larger than that of the injection needle.

In casethe injection syringe is to be used for injecting the solution after sucking-in the solvent into the syringe barrel, the cylindrical intermediate member 5b is separated at the predetermined fracture portion 60 from the flange 61 by screwing-in the threaded nipple 63 into the female threads 62 of the collar 66 and is moved toward the syringe barrel 2 together with the injection needle 3. This causes the end 6 of the injection needle 3 at the side of the barrel to pierce the elastomer seal 13', so that thereby a communication is provided between the injection needle 3 and the interior of the syringe. The axial movement of the cylindrical intermediate member 5b with the injection needle 3 is limited by the intrusion of the end of the cylindrical intermediate member at the side of the barrel into the recess 14' of the elastomer seal.

Other embodiments and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that this invention be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A syringe for injecting a solution of a dry substance and a solvent, said syringe including a syringe barrel adapted to carry the dry substance, said syringe barrel having one end closed by a resilient seal and a second end which is open and having a syringe piston mounted therein in sealed shiftable relationship therewith, an injection needle, means mounting said injection needle on said syringe barrel one end for limited axial movement to effect puncturing of said seal, said syringe piston having an internally threaded recess in that end thereof facing away from said injection needle, and a combined solvent holder and plunger, said plunger having one end of a configuration to be threaded into said syringe piston recess and form an interlock between said plunger and said syringe piston for effecting movement of said syringe piston within said syringe barrel, a hollow needle carried by said plunger one end in projecting relation for piercing said syringe piston upon complete joining of said plunger with said syringe piston, said plunger being hollow and having an interior adapted to hold the solvent with said plunger being in the form of a solvent ampoule, said plunger being of a cylindrical configuration for interfitting within said syringe body and having a second end formed with a flange for facilitating shifting of said syringe piston by said plunger, and said plunger one end having a check valve mounted therein between said hollow needle and said plunger interior.

2. A syringe as defined in claim 1, wherein said injection needle is carried by a cylindrical intermediate member, a flange disposed in front of said resilient seal, a predetermined fracture portion connecting said flange and said cylindrical intermediate member, said flange including an annular collar concentrically surrounding said cylindrical member spaced therefrom, said collar being provided with long lead female threads into which a threaded nipple is partially screwed in and which nipple upon being further screwed in causes movement of said cylindrical intermediate member along with said injection needle axially of said cylindrical intermediate member.

3. A syringe as defined in claim 2, wherein said threaded nipple has an axial recess and said cylindrical intermediate member has a free end extending into said axial recess.

4. A syringe as defined in claim 2, wherein said cylindrical intermediate member, said flange and said collar are made in one piece of plastic.

5. A syringe comprising a syringe barrel adapted to carry a dry substance, said syringe barrel having one end closed by a resilient seal and a second end which is open and having a syringe piston mounted therein in sealed shiftable relationship therewith, an injection needle, and means mounting said injection needle on said syringe barrel one end for limited axial movement to effect puncturing of said seal, said means mounting said injection needle including a cylindrical intermediate member carrying said needle, a flange disposed in front of said resilient seal, a predetermined fracture portion connecting said flange and said cylindrical intermediate member, said flange including an annular collar concentrically surrounding said cylindrical member and spaced therefrom, said collar being provided with internal threads into which a threaded nipple is partially screwed in and which nipple, upon being further screwed in, causes movement of said cylindrical intermediate member along with said injection needle axially of said cylindrical intermediate member.

6. A syringe as defined in claim 5, wherein said threaded nipple has an axial recess, and said cylindrical intermediate member has a free end extending into said axial recess.

7. A syringe as defined in claim 5, wherein said cylindrical intermediate member, said flange and said collar are made in one piece of plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,683,349 9/1928 Hein 128-221 2,888,923 6/1959 Reis 128-218 D 8 3,342,180 9/1967 Sandhage et a1. 128218 M 3,489,147 1/1970 Shaw 128218 M 3,511,239 5/1970 Tuschhoff 128218 M FOREIGN PATENTS 1,362,060 4/1964 France 128218 574,809 3/1958 Italy 188-218 NV JOSEPH S. REICH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

